1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to methods and apparatuses for thermal treatment of tissue and, more particularly, to a conduit junction for use with an electrosurgical system configured to secure conduits in place in the electrosurgical system.
2. Background of the Related Art
Electrosurgical systems are well known in the art. Some electrosurgical systems employ microwave energy to produce a number of therapeutic effects in or on tissue at a target surgical site during any number of non-specific surgical procedures. Many electrosurgical systems transmit microwave energy as well as other kinds of energy through conductors, such as, wires, cables, tubing or other suitable energy transmission structure. In addition to the energy transmitting conductors, some electrosurgical systems have conduits adapted to carry cooling fluids to the surgical tip of the electrosurgical system. These conduits transport cooling fluid to the surgical tip of the electrosurgical system to transfer heat between the surgical tip and the fluid.
Ideally, the maximum amount of cooling fluid should reach the surgical tip and, therefore, the conduits should not have leaks. To this end, manufacturers of electrosurgical systems usually test these conduits for leakage. During quality inspection, if a leak is found in the conduits, the entire electrosurgical system is often discarded.